Stolen
by Cassy27
Summary: When Loki wakes, he finds himself locked in a room with no way to escape. His capturer has a plan that horrifies the trickster God. Can he escape or will Thor have to come to his aid?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything!**

**AN: After a OneShot, I decided to try again, but with a longer story this time. I don't know how many chapters this will be, but I know exactly where I'm going and how to end it. I hope this will be enjoyed!**

**~ Stolen ~ **

**Chapter 1**

A soft humming grew louder and Loki groaned softly, wishing it to go away. He couldn't remember anything humming last time he had slept in his room and slowly, he opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed where the soft red walls. His room did not have such a color, certainly not since he considered it Thor's color.

He shifted onto his back and stared up at the white ceiling. Another thing that made no sense. His room was to be green; a soft, elegant green. Carefully, Loki pushed himself away from a feathered pillow underneath him only to realize that this wasn't his room at all. He had never before been in this place and his eyes darted around. Confusion clouded his mind and now that he thought about it, he could not remember what had happened the past few days.

Loki inhaled deeply.

The trick to these kind of situations was to remain calm and stay focused - God damn that humming was annoying! His eyes sought out the origin of the sound and quickly found a small camera hidden behind a lamp which sat on a night stand. Loki's hand pushed the lamp aside as he tried to pull the camera free, but it refused to move an inch. Loki glared intensely at the lens.

A camera meant someone was watching and he conjured his most daunting glare as he lifted himself from the bed. He was horrified to learn that a chain was placed around his left ankle, connecting him to the bed and restricting his movements. It was long enough to allow him to maneuver around the room, but short enough so that he could not reach the only door. Panic was growing within his chest and Loki swallowed heavily.

His mind raced as he tried to recall something - _anything_, but it felt like his memories were surrounded by a thick, impenetrable fog. He vaguely remembered walking home, thinking about a new plan to attack his brother and his new pets, but then it all went black. He didn't even know whether he actually made it home, but he wasn't planning on staying out here. Whoever thought to have the upper hand in the situation was gravely wrong.

Loki reached deep within himself and found his twisting magic stirring to life. He tapped into it, controlled it and prepared himself to use a spell when suddenly, he was struck by an agonizing burning sensation in his stomach. He groaned and nearly fell to the floor had he not found support on the edge of the bed. The painful sensation slowly ebbed away and Loki patiently waited for his vision to return to him. It was something he had not experienced before.

Defeat was not a word that could be found in his dictionary, however, and the trickster God reached for his magic again, only to find that pain returning instantly. His knees buckled, his legs unable to sustain the weight of his body and Loki gasped for air. He forced open his eyes, his mind racing to understand why he could not use his magic, but he had little time.

The door swung open and Loki turned his head. He wanted to shout, to attack whoever had just entered, but his vision was only just returning to him. Shapes were beginning to form and colors were a little too bright, but Loki refused to look away. After a few seconds, he recognized a human form. It was a man standing before him, a dark grin filling his face. He had short brown hair and dark eyes and all in all, he looked rather ordinary.

He was not what Loki had expected and Loki got to his feet, not wanting to face this enemy while half lying, half sitting on the floor. He had too much dignity for that. He glared at the man. "What is the meaning of this," he demanded to know, his voice low and vicious, "what do you want?"

The man's smile did not falter, but Loki noticed how his eyes changed. They turned colder somehow, more distant. "Mr. Odinson," he spoke slowly, as if Loki was a child that could not yet understand the language, "or do you prefer Mr. Laufeyson?"

Heat boiled in Loki's chest, a heat that was a mixture of anger and hatred. He did not know one could hate someone instantly. He repeated himself, "What. Do. You. Want?"

The man ignored Loki's question interily. "Let me introduce myself and get the formalities out of the way," he said, still grinning widely, "I am Mr. Petersen and I have always wondered what it would be like to meet an actual God." He stepped forward, but Loki couldn't touch him even if he wanted to, the chain preventing him so. "And I must say that you do not disappoint."

Loki growled. "Have I wronged you somehow?" he asked, his eyes narrowing as he now tried to recall if he had ever met this man before. It would certainly explain a thing or two, like how he knew about his magic and how he had managed to control it. There was no other explanation to why Loki could not use his magic.

"No," Mr. Petersen said, shaking his head, "we never met before, but I do know you. I have read all the tales and I am somewhat a keen expert on Norse mythology."

Loki remained silent. He could not get a hold of this situation, could not understand what the meaning was or where this was going. In stead, he stared at Mr. Petersen and waited for more information. The more he knew, the easier it would be to escape. At least that was what Loki was hoping for.

"For example," Mr. Petersen continued, folding his hands before his stomach, "I know you are not really an Asgardian, but that you were born on a planet called Jotunheim and that you, yourself are in fact a Jotun, albeit a deformed one."

Loki hissed like a wounded animal would. He lashed out, trying to reach Mr. Petersen, wanting to rip his throat out for speaking to him with so little honor. The chain didn't allow him, however, and it caused him to come to a brutal halt.

Mr. Petersen pretended nothing had happened. "I know you hate your brother with all your heart, that he is the reason you have attempted to destroy or rule this planet so many times. You nearly managed, but Thor and his fellow avengers keep getting in the way. You must hate them which is something we have in common then."

The longer he spoke, the more Loki wanted to see blood flow from his mouth. His fingers ached to wreck damage to this room, to that man, but he could not. His magic was bound and a chain kept him in place. The situation was becoming more desperate with every passing second.

"But that is the present," Mr. Petersen said, his grin having disappeared suddenly. Loki could sense that they were nearing the most important topic of this conversation. "I had more eye for your past, for your children."

Loki's eyes widened, feeling all sensation drain from his legs, but he remained standing, never allowing his gaze to slip away from Mr. Petersen's dark one. "What is it you want," he repeated, surprised to find his own voice so soft.

"They are monstrous, aren't they," Mr. Petersen smiled in delight, "they are feared and respected."

Loki balled his hands into fists, blood pumping through his veins and spreading adrenaline through his entire body. Could he reach for this man, he would snap his back in two. "You can not touch them," Loki said with confidence, "you can not even see them."

"That's not the point," Mr. Petersen said, "that you are their father is. You see, Loki, I have - like you - been fighting those bloody avengers almost my entire life. Nothing worked of course, but then I thought about a new plan. What better way to fight them than use a monster of my own making?"

Loki did his best to hide his horror, but he was sure Mr. Petersen could read it all in his eyes. He was a good liar, the best in the nine realms, but when it came to his children, Loki became a mother defending her young; he became an entire new entity. "You are delusional," Loki spat, "and insane."

"I am," Mr. Petersen seemed proud, "but I am also a genius billionaire who always gets what he wants. I am like Mr. Anthony Stark in many ways, but different where it matters."

Loki stepped back and around the bed, needing space between him and that man. Normally he would not care for such things, but without his magic he felt oddly vulnerable. Sure he could fight and combat without magic, but he somehow doubted he could win this battle. He was still chained to a bed after all.

"So you took me and locked me in here," Loki said, beginning to form a complete picture of the situation and how he got into it, "separating me from my magic and chaining me to a bed because you want a...monster of your own."

"Correct," Mr. Petersen said triumphantly, "I knew you would not disappoint when it came to the intellectual field. Let's hope our spawn inherits that from you."

Loki shook his head. "You will not touch me," determination seeped from his every word, "you will never lay one finger on me for I will break into a thousand little pieces. I might not have magic, but I still have more strength than you can possibly imagine."

"I know," Mr. Petersen said solemnly, "but l have thought this through and I am not willing to waist much time. Sleep well, Mr. Odinson, for you will need your rest." With those words, Mr. Petersen exited the room and left Loki alone, feeling strangely filthy and confused. As the door locked behind that awful man, Loki smelled something in the air that had not been there before.

He tried holding his breath, but it was useless. He inhaled the air, again an again until he found his mind foggy and his vision darkening. A blackness claimed him and Loki could only wonder what condition he would be in when he would wake again - if he would wake again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything!**

**Warning: Dark themes, but never anything explicit.**

**AN: _Wow_. I was amazed by the amount of reviews I got for the first chapter. A lot of expectations and I can only hope to be able to fulfill them. Since the chapters will be rather short, I will try and update once every two days or so. And please, don't stop your feedback!**

**Enjoy!**

**~ Stolen ~ **

**Chapter 2**

Stretching his arm, Thor spread his fingers and waited for Mjolnir to fly towards him. The weapon instantly did so and the God of Thunder clenched his fingers around it. He cursed under his breath as he made his way to the rest of his team, finding them all looking extremely tired. It had been a long battle, but at last the monster had been slain.

He noticed a limping Clint and asked, "Are you alright?"

Clint only nodded, muttering something under his breath before he joined Thor. They made their way towards Tony and Steve who were busy getting up from the ground, having been knocked aside by one the beast tails. Steve grunted and examined a deep gash running along his elbow. Blood dripped onto his shield and Thor knew the Captain would be in a bad mood for a very long time.

"What is it about monsters," Tony complained as the helmet of his iron suit fell back, "that they have to attack _after_ midnight?"

"We're all tired, Tony," Steve sighed. He glanced at the horizon where the first light beams of the sun were appearing. They had fought for over four hours and they were in desperate need of rest – except for Thor maybe.

"Who set it loose anyway?" Clint asked, running a hand through his messy hair. He looked like he has just been caught in a tornado. "This is the second monster in fourteen days and I don't think it will be the last either."

There was a dreadful silence in which the team mates all cast long glance at each other.

"Look, we're all thinking it," Tony was about to voice the thought everyone was sharing at this moment. He planted his arms in his sides when looking at Thor, "this is one of Loki's schemes and it means he isn't up to anything good."

Thor remained silent.

"Maybe we should find him then," Steve suggested, pressing a hand against his hurt elbow in an effort to stop the bleeding. He ignored the doubtful stares. "We should find Loki and demand what he is doing."

"Yeah, sure," Clint rolled his eyes, "because if we ask nicely enough, he'll just tell us."

"This isn't Loki's work," Thor finally spoke, turning to look at the dead monster, "it is much too..._blunt_. He would not send monsters and hope one of us gets killed; he would rather do that himself."

"Very reassuring," said Tony.

"Look," Thor let his gaze slide across each face of his team members, "this is not my brother's work, but the work of another and I can sense there is more to it. We should try and find whoever is responsible and make an end to this madness before someone does become a victim, be it one of us or an innocent citizen."

"I'm not saying I don't agree," Steve said carefully, "but where do we even begin searching? It could be anyone or any_thing_ for that matter. It could be a known enemy or someone new entirely."

Clint stepped forward. "There is no harm in asking around," he said, a slight frown creasing his brow as he was thinking everything through, "someone must have heard something. We have enough allies that could possibly provide answers so let's start there."

And like that, a plan had been formed.

-o-o-

He coughed violently, freeing his airways of any obstacle. He needed air, but Loki found himself drowning in thoughts and emotions. It felt like a snake was tightening around his chest, making it almost impossible for him to breathe properly. The God of Mischief forced his eyes open, but he found the room oddly dark.

The surface beneath him was soft and he wasn't cold. It took him a few seconds to realize he was lying in bed, sheets covering his naked body and Loki groaned in discomfort. He tried to remember how long he had been in this room, but time had slipped through his fingers as soon as he had arrived here.

Days could have passed, perhaps even weeks. All that Loki knew what that this was the second time he had woken like this. He turned to his side and pulled the sheet over his head; wishing he could just disappear into the bed and become invisible forever. However, the world was too cruel for that to happen. In stead, Loki pulled his knees closer to his chest and buried his face into his pillow.

He felt sick and disgusted and he feared he might even throw up had there been anything in his stomach. He knew there was a plate of food standing right next to his bed, but Loki refused to eat anything more than necessary to keep him alive. Perhaps that was his pathetic attempt at rebellion. It didn't stop Mr. Petersen from using him for his own dark purposes.

For what must have been the first time in years, Loki found himself longing to see his brother. Thor used to show up at every inconvenient time before he had been taken and locked away, but now that Loki actually needed him, the God of Thunder was nowhere to be found. He doubted Thor even knew something was wrong. Then again, how would Thor know? It wasn't like they regularly phoned each other or emailed. Loki could be stuck here for months before Thor would realize his brother was missing.

His hatred for Thor grew beyond proportions and Loki cursed his name. He cursed the Odinson and he cursed Odin. He cursed that damn Mr. Petersen and silently, he cursed himself. He was weak and pathetic, unable to help himself in the situation. Thor would have known what to do, he would have been able to fight back while Loki just lay there, motionless.

The God of Mischief held his breath, unwilling to shed a single tear. He would not show any sign of weakness, not to Mr. Petersen, not to anyone. He would face this, he would fight this and damn, one day he would kill that man. For now, however, Loki just lay there, feeling tears invade his eyes anyway. He forced them away as his hands reached for the chain around his ankle, yanking it violently. It didn't budge. If anything, it only hurt hid skin and Loki screamed.

He screamed until he had no more air left in his lungs and even then, he screamed, praying that someone might hear him.

-o-o-

Thor stared at Tony who disconnected his phone call. There was short silence and Tony shook his head, disappointment very clear in his eyes. "Nothing," he explained with a sigh, "Charles doesn't know anything about a bad guy setting loose monsters, but he promised to ask around a bit."

"Damn it," Thor growled, crossing his arms before his chest.

"I know, buddy," Tony said emphatically which earned him a dangerous glare from the God of Thunder, "but we still haven't heard anything from Reed so he might still be able to help us. Besides, we haven't seen a monster in over six days which is something we should feel grateful for."

"I will not be grateful about anything until I understand what is happening," Thor snarled, turning away from Tony and motioning to walk out of the office.

"There is still that one possibility," Tony quickly said, not allowing Thor to leave just yet, "and I know you hate it, but think about it."

Thor did not turn around to look at Tony as he spoke, "I have thought about it and I stand by my opinion. This is not the work of my brother so we should forget about him. Get answers, Mr. Stark, and should you have proof that Loki is involved, then I will believe you, but not a moment sooner."

With those words, Thor strode from the office and Tony sighed. He could not be sure, but he remembered his life being easier before Thor and his devious brother had joined them on Midgard.

-o-o-

Loki closed his eyes. He was too tired to face him and so chose to ignore him all together. Mr. Petersen's footsteps drew closer and Loki could feel his presence so very near; it repulsed him. The mattress shifted underneath him as another body joined him on the bed and Loki turned his head the other way.

"Come one now, Loki," Mr. Petersen said softly, almost cooing Loki into opening his eyes, "don't be difficult. It only makes matters worse."

A hand gently touched his cheek and Loki flinched away, his eyes instantly wide as he stared at the too close man. They were practically sharing the same air and Loki pulled away his head only to find that Mr. Petersen had a firm grip on his chin. Loki did not even have the energy to escape his grasp and he regretted not having eaten anything since yesterday morning. He should keep up his strength if he wanted to fight that man one day.

"Much better," Mr. Petersen smiled, "you don't have to make your stay here unpleasant, Loki. I could help you, aid you where you have needs. I can only image what it must be like to be forced to stay here and I am willing to ease your pain. That is if you cooperate."

Loki pressed together his lips. He had learned days - weeks? - ago that anything he said was only to be used against him at one point. Mr. Petersen leaned forward, his lips meeting Loki's unwilling ones, but Mr. Petersen didn't seem to notice. Or he didn't care. Carefully, he released his grip on Loki's chin as if he were testing the waters and Loki remained motionless. Mr. Petersen pressed on and moved a hand across Loki's jaw and neck.

Their lips unlocked and Loki closed his eyes. "Stop," he said, knowing his voice was too hard for Mr. Petersen to like it, "just stop this madness."

"I am sorry," Mr. Petersen said with cruel sympathy in his voice, "I truly do feel sorry for you, Loki." His hand moved underneath Loki's shirt and traveled down a patch of sensitive skin, making Loki shudder and pull away, but Mr. Petersen's arms curled themselves around his waist and pulled him closer.

"Stop," Loki said again, softer this time as his hands pushed away Mr. Petersen's chest. It was to no avail and Loki swallowed heavily. "You will pay for this," he said through gritted teeth, "one way or another."

"If you're hoping your brother will come to your rescue," a hint of amusement slipped through Mr. Petersen's voice, "then you are mistaken. I am making sure he remains busy enough to not even notice your absence. It's rather ridiculous how easy such a thing can be accomplished."

Loki had absolutely no idea what Mr. Petersen was talking about, but a sense of dread filled him none the less. Surely Thor was onto something by now? How long had he been locked in this room now? Weeks? A month? Loki's heart felt heavy as he thought about how long he might still be here.

"So please stop fighting me, Loki," Mr. Petersen whispered into his ear, "and relax."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything!**

**Warning: Dark themes, but never anything explicit.**

**AN: I felt a little guilty because not much happened last chapter. It was needed, however, to lay some groundwork. To answer some questions; Heimdall and Odin might be seeing this, I don't know...I just know that it will be up to Thor to save his brother. Also, I don't have any plans to pair up people in this fic. Sorry if this disappoints anyone...**

**~ Stolen ~ **

**Chapter 3**

_BANG_!

Thor felt dizzy from the hit, but he held onto his hammer to keep himself steady. He had lost count of how many monsters he'd fought these past six months, but he was certain he could no longer count them on both his hands combined. This monster was different from the others, however, which made it an exiting new battle for the God of Thunder. It also allowed him to vent some of is anger and irritation.

The monster roared, pushing itself onto his back two legs and growing twice in size. Thor laughed, the tingling sensation in the back of his head fading quickly. He regarded the beast with a new found respect for this one appeared more intelligent than all the others together. In many aspects, it looked like a bear - only with two heads and four arms.

"Thor, what are you waiting for?" Clint's voice sounded distant, but an arrow shot past Thor's ear and hit the bear in the chest. It growled dangerously and landed back into its six paws. It charged forward and Thor merely lifted his hammer. He awaited the bear to strike and readied himself to plant a blow onto its head.

When Mjolnir did land on the bear's skull, it cracked viciously. Thor grinned widely, believing he had succeeded in killing the beast, but he was taken of guard when a paw pushed him aside. The bear seemed to have formidable strength and had survived the blow since he had one head remaining.

Thor groaned, feeling agitated as he hit the ground harshly. He was starting to hate this beast again. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Iron Man launch an attack and the bear - with only one remaining head - kicked violently around him. The Iron Man did not get hit, but the Black Widow who was already cursing Tony for the surprise attack did get a paw to the shoulder. She fell back like a ragged doll and Thor held his breath. For a moment he feared the worst, but the Black Widow pushed herself back into sitting position.

"Stop playing around, damn it," the Captain warned both Thor and Tony. He raised his shield and approached the bear with caution. "Stay focused!"

"This would be a lot easier if Bruce were here," Clint protested as he joined the Captain in his attack. He pulled an arrow from behind his back and placed it into his bow. He was ready for another attack, but the bear seemed to be anticipating the move. It shifted towards the two approaching men and growled threateningly.

"Bruce would spoil all the fun," Tony said as he floated about ten feet in the air. He closed the distance between him and the bear, distracting it from Steve and Clint. The plan worked and the bear tried to plant a claw in Tony's suit. However, Tony merely rose another five feet into the air. It clearly annoyed the bear as it bared all its sharp teeth at the Iron man. "Besides," Tony added casually, "I think we have this under control."

The Captain huffed in annoyance before launching a new attack at the bear with Clint only a step behind. With another dozen arrows in his chest and a few well placed blows to the head, the bear fell down, having been defeated.

Thor, who had watched the entire ordeal from a safe distance, stood and found the pounding in his head finally subduing. He clenched his fingers around the hilt of his hammer as he approached the beast. He gazed at it intently, expecting it to suddenly return to life. Luckily, it remained dead.

Thor had never seen anything like it before, however, and he wondered where it came from. Natasha seemed to have a plausible answer, "It looks modified or something, like it was altered to become this."

Clint stepped closer and eyed the bear closely. "Who'd want to do that?" he asked, placing his bow back onto his back. "No offense, but it wasn't that bright or cunning. What's the point in setting it loose on us?"

Tony, his face now clear from his iron helmet, landed back besides them. He shifted his eyes across the rest of his team mates and shrugged. "To keep us busy I would say," he said thoughtfully, "and it's working." There was a short silence, but Tony wasn't done speaking yet. "Look, what harm is there in contacting Loki?"

Everyone turned to look at Thor, but he didn't seem interested in reacting to Tony's statement. In stead, Natasha spoke, "He's our enemy and going to him would be like admitting that we need him to solve this. I say we keep looking around until we find something - _anything_. It's not like we can't handle it."

"But that's not the point," Steve chimed in, "the monsters will keep coming and in the mean time, someone out there is working against us. There is no telling what is really going on, but innocent people are getting hurt by these monsters. We should be protecting them and right now, we're failing."

"You make it sound so depressing," Tony sighed melodramatically.

"Besides," Thor said, all eyes instantly turning towards him, "how will we even contact my brother? We have not seen him in months, nor do we know anything about his whereabouts."

"Which is exactly why I haven't excluded him from our suspect-list," Tony said, his voice surprisingly serious. It earned him a few raised eyebrows, but Tony ignored them.

"Let's just agree that we have to do something," Steve concluded, "because I hate standing around and letting it all just happen."

They all agreed on that one.

-o-o-

Laying motionless, one hand underneath his head and his other one resting across his chest, Loki felt his chest rise and fall with every breath he took. Somehow it calmed him and Loki could feel himself drifting off into a sleep. He kept his eyes open, however, and focused on his quickening heart beat. It had been irregular for quite a while now, but at least he wasn't in any pain.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he moved a hand down his chest until he reached his stomach. It was round and big and Loki instantly felt movement beneath his touch. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. For months now he had been forcing himself to love the child within him, but it was difficult. The child was a constant reminder of the situation he was in - the situation he could not get out of.

He knew he should not blame the child for it was not even born yet, but each time Loki closed his eyes, he imaged it as an adult looking exactly like Mr. Petersen. It would be his worst monster-child yet and Loki felt guilty for his having such thoughts. This was his own child after all.

"I am sorry," he whispered, his eyes resting on his round stomach, "I know you are not to blame."

Again, it shifted in his belly and Loki groaned as it kicked against his bladder. It was only a matter of weeks now before it would be born. Loki could feel this and he found solace in the fact that Mr. Petersen no longer visited him so often. As soon as that dreadful man had learned Loki was pregnant, he had not even laid one finger on him. In a twisted turn of events, the child was protecting Loki when it should be the other way around.

And so Loki lay motionless on the bed and waited for that inevitable day where everything would come crashing down. The day his child would be born.

He hated his child.

-o-o-

"That's weird," Tony said, frowning as he listened to a voice at the other end of the phone call.

Thor could not hear what was being said, but he was hanging to every word Tony said. Judging by Tony's expression, he was confused and also a little relieved. Thor had no idea what this meant, but he knew what it was about; the monsters. Everything was about monsters lately. He stepped closer to the desk at which Tony was currently seated and crossed his arms before his chest.

"Yeah, I understand," Tony continued the conversation, pinching the bridge of his nose, "I'll inform them immediately." Another short pause. "I don't know, but we'll check it out."

Thor sighed with impatience. He wanted to know what was happening, what Tony knew none of them knew. He inhaled deeply to steady himself and continued to examine Tony's face closely.

"Great. Thanks, Hank." Tony disconnected the call and instantly locked gazes with Thor. For a moment, Thor had expected Tony to smile triumphantly, but the billionaire simply rose from his seat and walked around the desk. "Come on, big guy, I'm calling a special meeting."

"Do you know something?" Thor demanded to know. He was not willing to wait another thirty minutes to find what was happening. "Tony, is this about my brother?"

"I'm not sure," Tony sighed, "but it can't be anything good."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything!**

**Warning: Dark themes, but never anything explicit.**

**AN: My longest chapter yet! I am very exited about this one and I feel things are running along nicely (though Loki is probably cursing my very existence at the moment). Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter. They are what keep my posting so quickly! **

**On with the fic!**

**~ Stolen ~ **

**Chapter 4**

Damn.

Loki repeated the word a hundred times in his head. Damn. Damn. _Damn_. He switched from one side to another and ended up laying on his back, but the pain did not ease away. It had started a few hours ago, but it had only intensified since and Loki had given birth enough times to understand what was happening. He hadn't thought it would come to this, but there he lay.

He clenched his hands into fists and kept telling himself that holding his breath only made the pain worse, but he couldn't help it. His eyes darted towards the small red dot to which he had grown used to and he knew someone was watching him behind that camera. He was trying to conceal his pain, trying to hide the fact that he was in labor, but he knew he was thoroughly failing.

It was only a matter of time before Mr. Petersen would enter the room and then Loki would watch him take away his child, his little monster. He had not expected it, but that thought made him angry. No matter how little he cared for it, he did not want it to fall into Mr. Petersen's hands. He'd rather have _Thor_ take care of it. That thought made him laugh without humor and tears began to leak from his eyes. It was the first time he actually cried. He wasn't ready for this situation and he felt terrified to face it alone.

For the umpteenth time, he cursed Odin, Thor and the rest of his idiot Avengers-team. What good were they in the end?

Another contraction made Loki grunt in pain and he sat up, pressing his back against a wall. He forced himself to breathe steadily, but it was all becoming rather difficult. Loki had not been able to prepare properly for the birth, let alone keep up his strength. Not having had any daylight for so long had made him weak and the food had been almost devoid of protein. Loki, feeling the pain subdue a little, allowed his eyes to fall shut for a moment. With his luck, the birth would last a whole day and he didn't know if he could survive the hardship. He didn't have magic to fuel his energy after all.

This was the first time he would give birth as a - almost - human.

The door swung open and Mr. Petersen entered with a large grin on his face. Loki wanted to scratch the man's eyes out and when he saw him approach, he flinched away. The thought of Mr. Petersen's hands on him made him gag, but Mr. Petersen did not seem to notice. "It's time, Loki," he announced, rubbing his hands in excitement.

"Really? I hadn't noticed," Loki snapped, feeling another contraction growing. He moved his hands to his lower stomach and pressed down, feeling the child within him shift. His contractions might be coming on a regular basis now, but the baby was not yet in the correct position. It made the whole thing extremely painful.

"Let it happen," Mr. Petersen encouraged, "you'll see that in the end, all will fall into place." He stretched out a hand an placed it on Loki's cold one.

Loki instantly pulled back and hissed like a venomous snake. "Don't touch me," he warned, feeling exhausted and craving sleep.

Mr. Petersen only chuckled. "I understand," he said softly, "but I am here to support you. After all, this is our child."

"No," Loki said through gritted teeth, "this child will never be yours!" _Nor__will__it__ever__be__mine_, he added silently.

Mr. Petersen shook his head, almost in disappointment. "Honestly, Loki, who will stop me? I don't see a rescue team anywhere. Your beloved brother does not even know where you are or that you need his help. And you?"

Loki hated himself for whimpering as the pain became almost unbearable.

"My dearest Loki," Mr. Petersen took both Loki's hands into his own, "you have not been able to stop me in nine long months. What makes you believe you can do so now?"

Loki spat in his face. He knew he shouldn't have, but he regretted nothing. A hand slapped across his cheek and his head turned to his left due to the force. It was a pin prick compared to the pain he experienced giving birth and so he laughed, knowing full well how maniacally he sounded.

Mr. Petersen backed away, never letting his eyes slip away from the trickster God.

"I will kill you," Loki threatened almost casually, "one day, one way or another, I will kill you."

"And I believe you," Mr. Petersen said, "but let's focus on our child now, shall we?"

Loki groaned, another contraction claiming his entire focus.

-o-o-

Steve narrowed his eyes. "So technically, what you're saying is that you don't who is there or what is happening, but you want us to check it out anyway?" He sounded cautious about the whole matter and honestly, no one could blame him.

"Yep," Tony said, standing before the seated avengers, "because according to Hank something weird is going on in there. Sources told him that it's protected and I'm talking about the supernatural sense of that word."

Bruce frowned. "Which means?"

"Which means that other than a whole bunch of heavy guys, it is also magic free," Tony explained, "Hank told me that they have been tracking this guy who caused a lot of trouble already, mostly in northern Europe. However, he has been laying low lately. He was spotted at this building and when Hank ordered it to be checked out, he discovered it's nearly impenetrable."

"So they tried magic to check it out," Natasha understood.

"Exactly," Tony nodded, a smile curving his lips upwards, "but it didn't work. Hank contacted me immediately because we know a certain magic-user that might be involved."

"If Loki is in there," Thor spoke, leaning his elbows on his knees, "than he is likely to be trapped there if it is magic-free. He would not give up his magic, never willingly."

"It would explain why we haven't heard from him in so long," Steve said.

"So your brother might be involved," Tony said, focusing solely on Thor, "but perhaps not in the way we thought originally."

"So it is safe to assume the monsters we have been battling lately are linked to this," Clint said, shifted his gaze between his fellow team mates.

"It's too big of a coincidence," Steve agreed.

Thor jumped to his feet and roared. "Then what are we waiting for?"

"Fury's approval?" Natasha offered reluctantly.

It was true that any mission had to be approved of by Nick Fury, but Thor clearly identified this as an exception. He grabbed for Mjolnir and straightened his back. "If my brother is in trouble, then I will aid him. I can not wait another hour as I have waited long enough. There is no telling how long Loki has been trapped inside that building. We shall go now and face the consequences later on. Who is with me?"

Tony rolled his eyes before lifting a hand in the air. "I'm with Thor on this one. We shouldn't wait any longer."

The others rose from the couch at once and began collecting their weapons and other necessities. They were trained for these kind of emergencies and it only lasted five minutes before they all stood gathered before Tony Stark's mansion. They knew their destination and they were ready to fight.

Thor was ready to defend his brother.

-o-o-

Loki glared at Mr. Petersen, daring him to come closer. He was imagining how his hand would fit around his throat and the sensation of squeezing all life out of that man gave him utmost satisfaction. It was the only distraction he could offer himself as he closed his eyes, beginning to feel like this birth would never end.

"It is nearly over," Mr. Petersen encouraged him and Loki kicked out a leg. Of course he could not actually hit the man since he stood on the other side of the room. Mr. Petersen was a wise enough man to stay away from Loki at this point.

"Shut it," Loki yelled, "just shut. Your. Mouth!"

More pain made Loki groan. He wanted to role onto his side and curl up into a little ball, but his body aches too much. He wanted to scream and kick and scratch, but there was no point. In stead he kept quiet between contractions and focused on his breathing and his new favorite fantasy. Oh how he wanted Mr. Petersen near him now. He opened his eyes again and looked into those brown eyes he despised and dared the man to come closer.

Mr. Petersen grinned. "You're doing wonderfully on your own."

A new, yet very familiar sensation filled Loki and he hated it. "No, no, no, no."

"What?" Mr. Petersen instantly straightened his back, tension gripping his shoulders as his arms dropped beside his body.

"No, not yet," Loki breathed, but he could not stop it. Nature was doing its work and Loki simply had to push the child out. It was fully turned and ready to leave its warm and safe nest and Loki wanted to keep it in. He wanted to do anything to prevent it from being born and fall into Mr. Petersen's hands.

"Oh yes," Mr. Petersen smirked, "come on now, Loki, no time for games."

And so Loki pushed, snarling as Mr. Petersen stepped closer. There was nothing he could do, however, but push again.

-o-o-

Steve hid behind his shield as bullets rained down on him like fire. Security was indeed very tight, but at least they had managed to enter the building. He rolled to his left and fired a few bullets himself. Two heavy thuds told him he had taken down two men. Steve looked behind him and saw Tony battling three guards of his own and for a moment, he considered to help him, but he decided he should press on.

They needed to get deeper into the building if they wanted to find out what was happening here. Steve ran for the next door and suddenly arrived in a spacious office. Another well trained guard headed towards him, but Steve pushed him aside forcefully with the aid of his shield. The guard slumped down against a wall, his eyes closed. Behind Steve, more footsteps approached, but he had gone on enough missions to recognize Tony's iron footsteps.

He was right and the Iron Man joined him in the office. "Come on, let's move!"

Steve could only agree and followed Tony to the next room. It was not what they had expected. It was a small room, only place for three men maximum and it was filled with little TV-screens. On it, they could witness Thor fight a dozen men. Bruce had hulked out and was currently trashing the parking lot just outside the building while Clint and Natasha were backing each other up as they fought nine men on their own.

That was not what made them stare at the screens. The sight of Loki inside a room, his legs spread and his brow filled with sweat, was. Another man was with him, probably the one Hank had told them about earlier, but he was only observing Loki who seemed to be yelling something vulgar at him.

"Is Loki..." Steve couldn't finish his own sentence.

"He appears to be."

"But..._how_?"

"Let's find out."

"Do we want to find out?" Steve turned to look at Tony, knowing that he too did not understand the situation. However, they knew someone who would. They exited the surveillance room together, fought another six men and ran towards Thor who seemed to have a joyous time taking on twelve guards at the same time.

"Thor!" Tony yelled. Thor did not even pause to acknowledge their presence. "Thor, we found Loki and we're pretty sure he needs our help!"

It seemed those words changed Thor's state of mind instantly as he threw around his hammer, knocking out his opponents effortlessly. The God of Thunder walked towards them, fury written in his eyes. "Where is he? What has he done?"

"Euhm," Steve bit down on his lip and looked at Tony for help. The Iron Man only shrugged. "As far as we could tell he is a level below and there is a man with him. Loki looked to be...giving birth?"

Thor growled, but said nothing as he pushed past Steve and Tony. They had expected a different kind of reaction.

"Thor?" Tony asked carefully, "Thor, what are you going to do?"

"Find out what's happening," Thor replied through gritted teeth before exiting the room, leaving Tony and Steve alone with four new guards to deal with. It would be easy to take them out , but the two avengers would rather follow Thor. That is why Tony used one of his missiles, even though it earned him an eye-roll from Steve.

They were able to pursuit Thor instantly, however, and they weren't sure if they were ready to face what was coming next. Or understand it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything!**

**AN: Thanks for all the amazing reviews! Some of you were a little disappointed/angry that I ended last chapter with a cliffhanger, but hey...I need something to keep you guys entertained. LOL. Sorry this chapter is shorter again, but I felt like it was a good place to end.**

**~ Stolen ~ **

**Chapter 5**

Loki gasped for air, his hands clenching the sheets beneath him as he pushed for what must be the umpteenth time. This might be the last time, but he could not tell for sure. The pain had only grown and Loki felt exhausted, but he had decided to try and make it quick. The faster the child was born, the faster Mr. Petersen would leave him alone and the faster he could go to sleep. However, his body was not adapting as well as Loki had hoped for since he had no magic to aid him this time.

It was all going excruciatingly slow.

Mr. Petersen seemed to read his mind. He stood a safe distance away from Loki, his arms behind his back. He looked remarkably calm and even managed a supporting smile. "You're doing well."

Loki wanted to wipe that smile from Mr. Petersen's face. Preferably with a knife or at least his fingernails. The mere thought made him feel a little better. "I will feed it your blood," he snarled when Mr. Petersen continued to smile.

"No need to get nasty," the man replied dryly, "we don't even know what it will eat yet." There was too much excitement in his voice and Loki felt sick when hearing it. "I think I can see a head," he said suddenly, "it's black...I think."

Loki shot him a daring look. "Then come closer and take a better look."

Mr. Petersen laughed amused, though there was a hint of nervousness in his facial features now. It seemed that as the end was nearing that Mr. Petersen grew slightly uncomfortable. "I don't think so. What would you do to me, Loki?"

This time, Loki grinned profoundly, baring all his white teeth. "Scratch out your eyes so that you will never know what it looks like," he chuckled darkly, the fantasy entertaining him, "and I will cut out tongue so you can never ask what its name is."

"That would be a pity," Mr. Petersen sighed, "so I'll just stay here for now."

Loud noises suddenly erupted from behind the door and Mr. Petersen instantly ran towards it, looking startled. He pressed an ear against the metal and listened for a few seconds. "Damn," he cursed before turning towards Loki, "it seems we're on a tight schedule."

Hope fluttered within Loki's chest, feeling that only Thor could be responsible for all the noise, only to feel that hope get crushed instantly when he felt the urge the push again. And so he did for the pain would be too much otherwise. He screamed until he had no more air left in his lungs, hoping that someone would hear him this time.

Mr. Petersen completely missed the intention of Loki's screaming. He came to stand before Loki, his skin having turned pale. "Almost," he said in a shaky voice, constantly looking over his shoulder towards the still locked door, "come on, Loki, do not disappoint me."

Loki burst into almost maniacal laughter. "I'm afraid," he breathed, "I only have disappointments for you."

Mr. Petersen frowned at the words, but he quickly focused his attention back on the metal door which was now vibrating as a heavy object was knocking against it. Loki could recognise that sound anywhere. "It seems," Loki smiled, "its uncle has arrived."

"_No_!" Mr. Petersen didn't hesitate and grabbed deep within the pocket of his suit, only to reveal a thin, fragile-looking necklace. It held a small flask in which a dark fluid was contained which Loki recognized to be blood. Perhaps even his blood. The idea horrified him and he watched with large eyes as Mr. Petersen threw it to the floor where it scattered into a dozen little pieces. Black smoke swirled upwards and Loki could feel an iron grip around his chest loosen instantly. He had grown so accustomed to it that he no longer realised it had been there at all, but now that it was gone. As the magic within Loki stirred to life, he felt free to breath easily once more.

"Oh no, you won't..." Loki flew out his arm towards Mr. Petersen, feeling his magic twist and turn inside of him. It reached the tips of his fingers, but he was not strong enough. It sent Mr. Petersen flying backwards, making him hit the stone wall, but the force was almost pitiful compared to what Loki was capable of doing otherwise.

Mr. Petersen pushed himself into a sitting position and reached for the black smoke that was starting to die out. "Goodbye, Loki," he said, sounding out of breath, "we will meet again, I have no doubt."

As Mr. Petersen touched the black smoke, Loki regarding him with big eyes. The trickster felt completely useless and pathetic as Mr. Petersen's entire body vanished into the smoke. It was some sort of teleportation device and as soon as Mr. Petersen was gone, the smoke vanished with him.

"No!" Loki yelled, furious that Mr. Petersen had escaped.

The metallic door swung open then and revealed a towering Thor. He wore his usual battle outfit and Mjolnir rested comfortably in his hand. Loki scowled at him the moment they made eye contact. How dare he come now when all was done, when Mr. Petersen had just escaped? The thunderer had no sense of timing what so ever and Loki cursed him.

"Loki," Thor strode into the room, confidence in his walk, "why are you here?"

"Because I love it here," Loki snapped, hating it that he appeared before his brother like this. So weak, so vulnerable, but he knew he needed Thor's help. Another contraction made him groan and Loki allowed his head to fall back. "God, it hurts."

Thor quickly moved to his side, setting Mjonlir down besides the bed. "I will help you, brother."

"And yet, you're too late," Loki growled, feeling the pain reach a climax. He had fought against it for as long as possible, but there was no denying that the child was about to be born _now_. He had no choice but to accept his brother's help.

It was mortifying and Loki simply wanted it over and done with.

The humiliation only grew when Iron Man and Captain America appeared in the doorway. Loki threw them a quick glance and saw aversion in their eyes. He wasn't sure what they were currently seeing, but it clearly repulsed and worried them at the same time. Loki focused back on pushing, pressing his chin against his chest. He held his breath until a tiny, muffled cry erupted.

Loki could feel a tension slip away from him.

"Finally," he sighed, dropping his head back onto the pillow and allowing his eyes to fall shut. "_Finally_," he repeated.

"Loki," Thor's voice was surprisingly soft, "brother, look."

Reluctantly, Loki opened his eyes and found his brother standing beside him, a small bundle of blue skin in his arms. Loki flinched away from Thor who wanted to hand him the child and Loki turned his head to look the other way. Unfortunately, the other way was where Iron Man and Captain America still stood. They frowned, confusion written all over their faces and Loki refused to look at their bewilderment so he closed his eyes again.

Thor's hand gently came to rest on his shoulder. "Brother, he is beautiful."

"No," Loki whispered harshly, squeezing his eyes shut, "no, it must be a monster."

"He isn't," Thor said softly, "Loki, please."

But Loki was not interested in listening to Thor. He pushed himself away from the bed and straightened his back, rubbing the creases from his bloodied clothes. His knees threatened to buckle as he moved to stand, but he quickly regained his balance and turned his back towards Thor. He refused to look at him and that bundle in his arms. Slowly, as if every step was calculated, Loki stepped forward and reached out a hand towards the broken necklace laying forgotten on the floor.

"Loki?" It was the captain's voice that called his name. He sounded annoyingly concerned and Loki disliked it. He had never wanted any of them to see him like that, let alone have them worry about him. They were enemies and nothing could change that.

"Brother," Thor stepped towards him, but Loki lifted a hand, making him come to a halt, "please, your son needs you."

Loki ignored him as more pressing thoughts invaded his mind. The magic running through his veins had grown in strength and Loki could feel how it tried to escape and he allowed it. A few words and a spell was cast, transporting him away from the room he had grown so used to.

The last thing he heard, was Thor calling out his name and baby continuously crying.

**AN: Yeah...Another cliffy, but I promise to update soon! I do have one problem; I can't find a proper name so do you guys have any suggestions?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything!**

**AN: Thanks for all the amazing reviews! I know you had to wait a few days for this chapter, but I had a choice: post a short chapter two days ago, or write an extra scene and post today. I think it's quiet obvious what I chose. I hope the wait was worth it. Please don't forget to leave me a message after reading this :) They make me ever so happy!**

**~ Stolen ~ **

**Chapter 6**

Thor could only stare at the space where only a second ago, his brother had stood. He felt alone, even with a blue skinned child in his arms and his friends gazing at him as if they'd just watched a horror movie. The looks in their eyes made Thor whimper ever so slightly. This was not a situation he'd been prepared for.

The baby might have been crying, it was Tony's voice that brought back Thor's attention. "Thor," he said softly, "what just happened?"

Slowly, Thor exhaled and stared at the angry baby in his arms. It was crying, thick tears streaming down his face. His crimson eyes were shut tightly and Thor was unsure of what he could do. "He has left," he spoke, his mind not truly accepting what had happened, "how could he just leave?"

"_Euhm_..." Steve walked forward, his steps hesitant. He pushed his shield across his back and picked up a blanket from the bed. Carefully, as if he expected Thor to attack him if he came too close, Steve handed him to blanket. "What about...him?" He nudged towards the small, blue child currently in Thor's arms. "Is he...all right?"

Gently, Thor wrapped the boy in the warm blanket and found the cries faded a little. He knew of Loki's children and when Loki had given birth this time, he had not expected the baby to look almost..._human__-_except for the blue skin and radiant, crimson eyes. Thor imagined the boy looked much like Loki did when he had been a baby.

"I believe he is all right," Thor answered, looking at the still whimpering boy, "is crying not a good thing?"

Tony merely shrugged and Steve bit down on his tongue.

There was another silence, a complete silence since the baby had apparently fallen asleep in Thor's arms. It looked too small and fragile in the thunderer's broad arms, but Thor held the baby in a natural, almost habitual way. He seemed to know what he was doing.

After he cleared his throat, Tony dared to take a step forward. "What are we going to do?" he asked then.

The question seemed to confuse Thor as his brow creased into deep lines. "I must take care of him of course," he said, believing it was the only option, "he is my nephew, he is Loki's son. He is my responsibility now."

"He's Loki's responsibility," Tony argued, but he never raised his voice.

Thor glared at the Iron Man.

"...Tony," Steve began, but Tony interrupted him.

"I totally understand you, Thor, and I know you have a big sense of loyalty to Loki even after all the shit he already pulled on us," Tony continued, "but have you ever looked after a baby before?"

The anger was almost radiating from Thor's eyes, but he shook his head.

"Neither have I," Tony said, "and I don't think Steve here ever even held a baby before."

"Actually-"

Tony ignored Steve. "So how will we take care of it – him." He moved towards Thor until he stood directly in front of him. The sight of the blue child seemed to unnerve him slightly, but he focused on the God of Thunder in stead. "Because I don't believe for a second that it's as easy as in the movies."

Thor frowned, but his arms tightened around the boy. "I will manage this," he said, almost sounding offended, "with or without your help."

"Of course we will," Steve said, offering Thor a kind, supporting smile.

A heavy sigh escaped Tony's lips. "We are going to regret this."

The baby began to cry again.

-o-o-

The entire Stark mansion was quiet. _For__once_. Either Tony was tinkering away at his suit, Thor was smashing the game controller or Steve and Clint were having another ridiculous dispute. Not today, however, for a small baby lay sleeping in one of the guest rooms upstairs and no one dared to wake him.

Thor felt torn. He wanted to leave this mansion and find his brother who could be anywhere by now, but he also wanted to keep an eye on his nephew. The boy appeared strong and healthy, but Thor worried about him none the less. He knew the birth had not been an easy one and there was no telling whether it would have any affects on the child's health.

That was why Thor kept pacing between rooms, never halting, never resting. Tony had voiced his discomfort enough times and he disliked idea of having Loki's son in his mansion, but there had not been another option.

Soft cries sounded from the room near the end of the hall and Thor hurried over there as quickly as possible. He opened the door and found his nephew crying in his little crib. Without hesitation, Thor lifted the boy into his arms and held him close to his chest. It had been a surprise to everyone to find that Thor was actually good with children. Then again, he had been around children before, just not...human children. The Avengers had been amazed to hear Thor tell them stories about his niece Hela. Or about Fenrir. No one truly dared to say _what_ Loki's new son was in this case. The boy was blue and had red eyes like a Frost Giant, but he had a human size and no extraordinary strength – so far. Even Thor admitted that he was curious to see how the boy would grow up.

Having been lost in thought, Thor had not heard the arrival of company. "Is he hungry?"

Thor could easily recognize Steve's voice and he found him standing in the door frame. The captain had shown a remarkable interest in the child and Thor felt grateful that he was not alone in his quest to look after his nephew.

"I don't think so," Thor said, frowning slightly as he rocked the child gently, "and he doesn't appear sleepy any more."

The crying continued.

"Then what does he want?" Steve asked softly.

Thor sighed, feeling strangely useless, "I don't know."

The cries grew louder and Thor continued to rock him carefully, pressing a soft kiss against his forehead. In the three days he had been taking care of the boy, he had grown awfully fond of him even though he'd proved himself a difficult child. He cried. A lot.

"I know what he wants," a new voice said and the God of Thunder and the Captain spun around to see Tony standing before them with a bottle of beer in his left hand. Tony walked into the room, looking casual about the entire situation. "He wants his mother. Or father? What should we call Loki in this situation?"

"Loki is not here," Thor said, irritated. He still found it hard to understand why Loki had simply left.

"Oh, sure, the baby will understand that," Tony rolled his eyes, "and besides, it has been three days. Shouldn't we pick a name or something?"

"No!" Thor's voice sounded hard. "It is not our honour to do so."

"But it would be a lot easier," Steve agreed with Tony, "calling him '_him_' or '_boy_' or '_baby_' is annoying and quiet honestly, not very respectful to the child."

"I said no," Thor said stubbornly, "Loki will return any moment now and he must choose the name. I will not hear another word of this."

The baby's cries increased as Thor's voice grew louder.

"Now look what you did," Tony said accusingly, cringing at the noise, "you made him cry."

"He hasn't stopped crying," Steve sighed.

Thor turned his back to his friends and focused entirely on his nephew. "Perhaps you should leave," he said softly, "my nephew needs peace and quiet."

"Fine," Tony said and he and Steve left the nursery, silently hoping that Loki would return soon. They did not like an overprotective Thor and they certainly did not like a crying baby.

-o-o-

After three days, he had finally found the right place. He'd hesitated only a second, but then Gunnar had entered the building, demanding the guard to be allowed upstairs. The guard had spoken into his radio for a moment, but Gunnar had been given access. It was so that he now pushed open a large, oak door and found himself standing in a spacious, light room. For all he knew, this could be a library as three walls were obscured by thousand of books. He imaged someone could not read all this in one life time. Before the large window, letting in the fading sunlight, stood a broad desk which was completely empty except for a laptop and a glass of scotch.

Behind the desk sat a lone figure in a high, expensive looking chair. Gunnar could not see his face as the man had his back turned towards him and he wanted the man would turn towards him. His wish was instantly fulfilled and Gunnar could not surprise the urge to swallow heavily. He had only met Doctor Doom once before and he had felt threatened by the man. Now, Gunnar felt the same anxiety rise in his chest.

"Welcome back," Doctor Doom said, folding his hands casually on the desk. He suddenly began to smile mockingly. "No baby carriage?"

"He escaped," Gunnar said through gritted teeth. He had never met Thor, but the image him the golden God of Thunder bursting into Loki's room made him furious and he balled his hands into fists. He had been so close to getting that baby, only to have it all ripped away from him.

"Mr. Petersen," Doctor Doom's voice was much too smooth and Gunnar told himself not to get too close to the masked man, "I warned you, yet you didn't listen. I wonder why you are here now, though since our business is done."

"No," Gunnar said stubbornly, having re-found some of his confidence, "we're not done yet. If you don't offer me protection, I can assure you that your problems will only just begin."

"Are you threatening me?"

A dirty grin filled Gunnar's face. "You told me about Loki's children," he said, breaking his resolution when he took a step forward. He could see Doctor Doom straightening his back, looking strangely surprised to see Gunnar talking back to him. "You told me to keep Thor and the other Avengers busy and you, Doctor Doom, told me where I could find Loki and how I could contain him."

Doctor Doom remained silent, but even through the narrow slits of his mask, Gunnar could see his eyes narrow. "We made a deal, Mr. Petersen," he said finally, "I gave you information while you would keep the Avengers busy for a while. We both lived up to our end of the bargain. I have nothing more to say to you."

Gunnar suddenly pulled a long, silver chain from underneath his vest. A thin, delicate symbol dangled from it and Gunnar clenched it between the fingers of his right hand. "Loki will find me in the end," he said, never looking away from Doctor Doom, "and this rune, this magic will only keep me hidden from his gaze for so long."

"What are you doing?" Doctor Doom demanded to know.

Gunnar tore the chain from his neck and threw the necklace onto the floor. With all his strength, he crushed the golden rune underneath his shoe, deforming the rune instantly. "If I am going down," Gunnar smirked, "I am taking you with me."

As if on cue, the doors of to the room burst open, revealing Loki who was dressed in his usual battle outfit. His green eyes stood wide, full of rage. His body appeared tense and his fingers opened and closed again while a maniacal smile twisted his lips upwards. Loki strode into the room, dauntless and menacingly. Without acknowledging Doctor Doom, Loki instantly went for Gunnar and closed his long, thin fingers around Gunnar's throat.

"Mr. Petersen," Loki, whispered in a hard voice, still smiling without humour in his eyes, "so we meet again."


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything!**

**Warning: (Bit of) torture and violence!**

**AN: I jumped up and down when I saw how many of you reviewed my previous chapter. Seriously, they made my heart burst with joy! I'm glad this story is still liked/loved and I will try my best to keep it up. I have to admit that I stole some ideas from you guys. Someone (that someone being Browneyedrecluse) pointed out that the Avengers couldn't know yet about Loki's imprisonment so I had to rectify that.**

**Here goes nothing...**

**~ Stolen ~ **

**Chapter 7**

Tony, leaning against the counter in his kitchen, clutched his hands around a big, steaming mug of coffee. The heat was a welcoming one and the caffeine was already kicking in. Since Loki's son had cried through the previous night, Tony felt strangely tired. It wasn't the first time he'd been awake for at least twenty-four hours, but now he felt different. He felt exhausted.

Just a moment ago he and Steve had spoken with Thor only to be kicked from the room while being accused by Thor of distressing the baby. Tony sighed at the memory. For all the evils they had faced, this tiny kid was the worst one yet. Tony scowled at himself. Since when was he calling an innocent - albeit blue - baby evil? He really did need sleep.

It was when Clint entered the kitchen that Tony was hauled away from his thoughts. Clint, having had the privileged to sleep somewhere else last night, smiled when noticing Tony. Clint grabbed a mug and poured himself some coffee as well. "I hear Thor is turning into a mother hen," he noted.

Tony ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "You have no idea," he said before taking another sip from his hot coffee, "if I didn't know any better, I'd say he was the mother and not Loki."

"So our archenemy hasn't shown up yet?" Clint asked.

"Make sure Thor doesn't hear that," Tony told him, "his brother has suddenly become a saint in his eyes. Honestly, I can't understand Loki. I thought having a child was a blissful event so why would he leave directly after?"

Clint shrugged, but there lay a confusion behind his eyes which hadn't escaped Tony's watchful eyes. The billionaire straightened his back and raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner. "What?" he demanded to know. "What are you thinking?"

Clint shook his head, but Tony's remaining stare seemed to break him instantly. "Like you said, it makes no sense, that's what. Thor has told us about Loki and his other children and from what I remember, Loki has always been very protective over them. He loves them, but not this one. This baby he leaves behind the second it is born."

Tony stayed silent, trying to remember every detail of the event. They were missing something and he knew it was staring them right in the face. "He was acting particularly strange," he admitted, replaying the scene in his head, although he had been trying to completely erase it from his memory. Loki giving birth wasn't the prettiest of images. "He acted...scared."

It was all starting to fall into place. "And he didn't want to look at his son," he added.

These details were new for Clint. "He didn't?"

"Thor wanted to give him the boy, but Loki pulled away," Tony explained, his eyes wide when they refocused on Clint, "he went after that guy...what's his name... Mr. Petersen and I don't think it was to thank him." He placed his still full mug on the counter behind him and crossed his arms before his chest. He couldn't believe they had missed this. "The door was locked and there were cameras."

Clint's mouth hung open as he was fitting in the final pieces of the puzzle. "We've always assumed Loki was there willingly since he managed to leave using magic the second the baby was born," he said, organizing his thoughts, "but think about it, Tony. Why would Loki leave that room so quickly? Why would he run after Mr. Petersen and why would he leave his son like that?"

A soft, female voice answered. "Because it was his first chance to escape."

Tony's eyes darted towards Pepper who, like always, carried a stack of papers in her hands. Her red hair was pulled into a neat ponytail and her casual, black dress was still business-like. Usually, she would smile when seeing one of the Avengers, but not this time. Horror lay hidden within her eyes.

"So that baby upstairs," said Tony, feeling his heart beat ferociously in his chest, "is not a love child."

-o-o-

"Wait," Mr. Petersen said in a strained voice.

Loki still had his fingers curled around his throat and just like he had fantasized a million times before, he was squeezing the life out of the man he hated. It was the first time in months that he was physically this close to Mr. Petersen and Loki could actually see the fear in those dull, brown eyes.

Having no intent to release his grip, Loki watched how Mr. Petersen lifted an arm. With a shaking finger, he pointed towards Doctor Doom and Loki glanced over his shoulder. Doctor Doom sat still behind his desk, his hands folded before him. He might appear casual and relaxed to any other, but Loki could smell the tension a mile away.

"He..." Mr. Petersen choked out, "helped me."

Loki returned his gaze forward and eyed him dangerously. "What does it matter?" he whispered in a hard voice, fully realizing how animalistic he acted. "It is you I want to kill."

With his free hand, Loki took a long dagger from within his green shirt. The hilt was laced with emerald stones and the blade was a cold, silver-like metal. It glistened in the fading sunlight and Mr. Petersen's eyes anxiously darted between the dagger and Loki's green, empty stare.

Doctor Doom moved for the first time since Loki had arrived, rising from his seat and straightening the non-existing creases from his suit. "Perhaps I should give you two some privacy," he said.

Flinging out an arm, Loki threw the dagger at Doctor Doom, hitting him straight in the shoulder. A normal blade would not even have caused a scratch on Doom, but this blade buried itself deep within the mutated flesh. Loki's magic was back to its former strength and he wasn't afraid to use it. Doctor Doom grunted painfully and Loki merely summoned the dagger back to his hand. The message was clear enough and Doctor Doom sunk back in his chair.

"You'll be happy to know that we have a healthy son," Loki said, watching Mr. Petersen's eyes widen. The memory of Thor holding the blue skinned child brought back painful memories, but Loki was called the liesmith for a reason. He managed to keep his crazed smile. "He looks...nothing like you."

He softened his grip on Mr. Petersen's throat, allowing him to speak, but he also pressed the sharp edge of his dagger to Mr. Petersen's neck. If he pressed any harder, the blade would break the skin and Mr. Petersen already winced, feeling the uncomfortable pressure. "What does he look like then," the man asked, honest curiosity in his voice. "Wolf or snake-like? A transformed horse?"

Loki laughed loudly, ignoring Mr. Petersen's attempts to break away from his grasp. He pressed the blade deeper into the skin and blood instantly welled up from the tiny wound. "Mr. Petersen," Loki said in an odd, earnest voice, "if you'd done your homework correctly, you'd know that Sleipnir's father was a horse. You are just a small, filthy human."

With one smooth movement, Loki slipped the dagger across Mr. Petersen's cheek. This time, the cut was deeper and the blood a darker shade of red. Mr. Petersen threw his head back, but Loki held a firm grip. He had never been much for torture, in stead choosing for a quick, clean kill. However, Loki was willing to make an exception now. He had spent three long days looking for the man and he wasn't going to miss out on having fun.

"I never hurt you more than I had to," Mr. Petersen offered, sounding pathetically weak.

"Oh no," Loki shook his head, feeling a heat rise from deep within his chest. Anger was consuming his entire body and Loki needed to refrain himself from killing Mr. Petersen right then and there. "You just held me captive and used me to make your own little monster. Tell me, what would you have done with our son?"

Mr. Petersen took the opportunity to lengthen the time of the situation. He clearly did not want to die and Loki felt exited to have that knowledge. Then again, no one was prepared to die and humans were particularly cowardice regarding the matter.

"I..." Mr. Petersen closed his eyes as Loki flipped the dagger between his fingers, the point of the blade only inches away from his left eye, "I...I would have raised him well."

"You would have trained him," Loki corrected him, cutting deep into the skin just beneath the left eye. A muffled, sad cry escaped Mr. Petersen's lips. "You told me yourself that you would have used him to kill my brother and his pets. You would have used him to kill me in the end."

For once, Mr. Petersen remained silent. He didn't have an answer to Loki's words and he didn't have the strength to fight anymore. Loki was rather disappointed and frankly, bored. Almost absent-mindely, he stabbed Mr. Petersen in the stomach. Brown eyes flew open and looked surprised that Loki would have done such a thing.

The surprise changed into horror and eventually, agony. Loki grinned. "I expected more of a fight from you," he said.

Mr. Petersen coughed, blood dripping from his lower lip. It was then that he did something Loki had not expected him to do. Mr. Petersen laughed, more blood falling from his lips. "So did I."

As if a bomb exploded in Loki's mind, disrupting his every thought and emotion, Loki pulled the dagger from Mr. Petersen's stomach and in stead, slit his throat. Mr. Petersen's smile vanished and Loki released his grip, watching Mr. Petersen fall helplessly to the floor. Blood pooled around his body and after a long five seconds of revolting, loud gurgling sounds, the man lay dead at Loki's feet.

Without taking his eyes from the lifeless body, Loki said to Doctor Doom, "I am sorry for the mess."

"It's quiet all right," came Doctor Doom's nervous voice.

Loki stepped over the body, the bloodied dagger still firmly in his hand. His pink skin was covered with crimson blood, but Loki paid it no attention. "Next time you cross me, Doctor Doom," he said in a low voice, "I will not hesitate to kill you. You know I can."

Not waiting for an answer, Loki cast a spell and vanished from the room. He didn't care what Doctor Doom had to say to him, what weak excuses he would use. Loki only wanted to leave Mr. Petersen behind, he wanted to leave that short part of his life behind, but there would always be that constant reminder.

Loki knew now was the time. He was ready to meet his son.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything!**

**AN: Thanks for all the reviews! You guys are amazing. I wanted to post this chapter sooner, but I didn't want to update anything until I was satisfied with it. This is the result. Enjoy!**

**To efphrim: Thanks for the wonderful idea for a name :)**

**~ Stolen ~ **

**Chapter 8**

It was late, the sky completely dark with not a star visible. Not even the moon found an opening between the thick, rainy clouds. Tony stood at the window of his bedroom. Now that everything was finally quiet, he should go to bed and sleep. He knew that in a few hours time, a certain blue kid would wake and scream the air from his lungs.

Tony found it more and more difficult to like this baby. Why anyone would choose to have a child was beyond him. All they did was cry and eat. Tony sighed and turned away from his window when a soft knock sounded.

"Enter."

To his surprise, it was Bruce who walked in. He, like many others recently, looked tired. Carefully, Bruce closed the door behind him, trying not to make any unnecessary sounds. "Someone should speak to Thor," he said, not bothering to make small talk first. Tony liked that about Bruce; he always came straight to the point. "He demanded Pepper to give him the tapes we found in the compound."

Tony couldn't follow. "Tapes?"

"The ones that show what happened to Loki," Bruce explained, his expression hardening for a split second. No one really cared for Loki, but they all despised what had happened to him. "Ever since we know that Loki was held captive there, Thor is headstrong about discovering what exactly happened."

Tony closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "That won't end well."

He imagined Thor watching the videos only to smash the screen into a thousand little pieces. The God of Thunder truly had to do something about his temperament. Tony might be a billionaire, he was tired of buying new game-consoles and controllers just because Thor could not stand to lose.

"Exactly my thoughts," Bruce agreed, "I'd ask Steve since Thor likes him better than you, but he's out."

It was well known that Thor had grown distrusting of Tony these passed three days. Tony had been the only one to voice his concerns about the baby and Thor refused to admit that there was some truth to the Iron Man's words. Steve on the other hand had only been supportive. They had made it a point not to send Bruce to Thor. For some reason, Thor always manages to piss of Bruce, making him turn into the Hulk.

Tony would rather buy a new game-console than repair his entire house.

"I'll go," he sighed, grinding his teeth. Luckily, he was still wearing his daily outfit and so Tony pushed passed Bruce. He hated to be the one to have to talk to Thor, but he knew someone had to do it. He'd make it quick, though and so he got downstairs, making almost no sound since the baby was sleeping only a few rooms away from Tony's bedroom.

When the billionaire arrived downstairs, he found Thor sitting before his large TV-screen.

The image was of low quality, but Tony could still easily make out Loki's form standing on one side of a bed. Mr. Petersen stood on the other side and Tony frowned as he tried to understand what was happening.

Mr. Petersen appeared pleased and Tony stepped closer to the screen. The sound was a bit off, but he could clearly understand what was being said. "Correct," Mr. Petersen spoke, "I knew you would not disappoint when it came to the intellectual field. Let's hope our spawn inherits that from you."

Tony instantly thought of the child that lay sleeping upstairs.

He watched Loki shake his head. "You will not touch me," the trickster looked confident, but Tony noticed the metal chain around his ankle. He was without doubt trapped within that room. "You will never lay one finger on me for I will break into a thousand little pieces," Loki said, "I might not have magic, but I still have more strength than you can possibly imagine."

"I know," Mr. Petersen said solemnly and Tony frowned, unsure of what would happen next, "but l have thought this through and I am not willing to waist much time. Sleep well, Mr. Odinson, for you will need your rest." With those words, Mr. Petersen exited the room and left Loki alone.

It was now that Tony decided they had seen enough. He went to stand before the screen and turned it off. For a moment, he expected Thor to protest, but no sound came. Slowly, Tony turned around to look at the thunderer only to find the broad, strong man appearing ever so small.

"If I had known..." Thor said weakly.

"But we didn't," Tony argued. He moved to sit besides Thor. "We did not know and you aren't to blame. We found him, Thor, and we know your brother is safe."

Thor inhaled deeply and Tony tried to remember a time where his friend had looked so weary. His mind came up empty and so Tony tried to imagine what was currently going through Thor's mind. Steve would have no problem in doing so, even Pepper would be better at this. It was just weird to see a God so broken.

"It makes sense now," Thor said, leaning back in the couch, his eyes still focused on the black screen, "why he wouldn't look at his son, why he left so quickly."

"I know," Tony agreed, "but you know Loki better than anyone. Do you think he'll come back?"

A short moment passed before Thor nodded. "Loki is many things," he explained, "and he is a good mother. He'll want to know if his son is all right, but first, he'll deal with this vile excuse of a man."

"Then we'll wait," Tony offered, "and we'll take care of the boy until then."

Thor offered him a kind, appreciating smile.

-o-o-

When Loki appeared in a bedroom inside Stark Mansion, he found only one small, night-lamp burning. It was enough to cast everything in a soft, yellow glow and Loki needed a moment for his eyes to adjust. The moment they did, he recognized the shape of a small crib standing near the far right wall. Carefully, he stepped towards it.

A soft gurgling sound broke through the silence and Loki halted. The child was awake. Carefully, Loki made those last three steps and then he stood directly before the crib. The crimson eyes of the boy instantly fell upon him and for a moment, Loki expected him to cry. In stead, the baby fell silent and watched Loki with wide eyes that seemed to hold an infinite pool of knowledge. Did the boy sense the hatred he'd been surrounded with for all those months? It was impossible, but Loki couldn't help but swallow heavily.

With calculated moves, he reached into the crib and when the tips of his fingers touched the boy's cheek, a tingling sensation flowed through Loki's entire body. He was using magic to make the boy look normal and slowly, the blue colour disappeared from the baby's skin. When Loki retracted his hand, he found himself staring at a human baby with strands of black hair and dark brown eyes. He felt relief that the brown colour looked nothing like Mr. Petersen's brown eyes.

The baby lifted his tiny arms as if to grab Loki's fingers, but there was too much distance between them. He grew angry and Loki felt how it pulled at strings of his heart. He could not hate the boy and Loki smiled weakly. With utmost care, he lifted his son from the crib and cradled him in his arms. The child looked pleased and closed his eyes, falling asleep after only a short moment.

"Sleep tight, little one," Loki whispered, feeling himself calm down as he listened to the boy's even breathing.

Behind him, the door suddenly opened, but Loki did not turn around. Any brusque movements would wake his child - it suddenly wasn't so horrid any more to think of the boy as his son. Had it been Thor, Loki would have recognized heavy breathing or ponderous footsteps. The person standing behind him was someone small and light.

Loki turned his head to look over his shoulder and saw a woman whose name he did not know. He had seen her many times before and he was fairly sure she was Tony's assistant, but he didn't know anything else. For all he knew, she could scream now, terrified to see Tony's arch-enemy standing before her. She did no such thing and in stead smiled warmly.

"He's wonderful, isn't he?" Her voice was soft as she apparently did not want to wake the boy.

Loki eyed her with care, trying to determine whether she was speaking the truth or not.

"He's full of life," the woman continued to speak, "you can be proud."

With those words, the woman turned around and left the nursery, closing the door behind her. Loki paid her no more attention and turned to look back at his sleeping son. There had been no lies in her eyes and so Loki smiled. He could be proud of his son, his little warrior.

-o-o-

Pepper was not the kind of woman that was easily caught of guard, but when she'd seen Loki standing in the nursery with his son in his arms, she had needed a moment to calm herself. She'd never met Loki before, only heard the tales, and he was nothing like she'd imagined.

That had been a good thing and it had allowed her to organize her thoughts. Loki was here for his son, nothing more. It was so that she made her way back to the living room in a calm and steady pace. She found Tony and Thor sitting on the couch.

Thor's eyes revealed emotions that hadn't been there before; he looked sad and guilty while Tony threw him understanding glances. It was a peculiar image.

"Is he awake?" Tony asked when he turned to look at Pepper.

"No," Pepper answered, unsure of how she could tell them, "he's sleeping." She decided to threw the truth out there. "Loki's with him."

Like expected, Thor jumped from the couch and hurried upstairs. He half bumped into Pepper. She might not be the smallest woman, but the speed in which Thor passed beside her, made her lose her balance. She grabbed for the door-frame and quickly steadied herself. Tony stood before her in a second and held her arm.

"Are you all right?" he asked. Pepper only nodded. "You've seen him," he continued, "you've seen Loki. How did he look?"

"I only saw him for a moment and it was dark," she explained, shifting her weight to another leg, "he looked well considering. I can't believe what he has gone through, but it must have been horrible. We should feel lucky that the baby is healthy."

"And not a monster," Tony added. It earned him a glare from Pepper. "Come on," he defended himself, "how would you have reacted if his kid turned out to be a really nasty rat or something."

Pepper cocked her head to her right. "That's not the case so I won't even think about that."

"He could still change," Tony said, appearing deep in thought.

"Stop it," Pepper warned him.

"It could still crave blood at some point."

"Tony!"

"Or he could grow a deep hatred of gingers."

Tony only laughed as Pepper stalked out of the living room, but felt a faint sense of caution in his chest. The boy might look normal - a little blue perhaps - but there was no telling what the kid could turn into. Would he have the same strength as Loki? The same magic? Tony knew it was ridiculous to wonder about this already since the boy wasn't even a week old yet, but he was worried none the less.

Perhaps with Loki now having returned, it could all change for the best.

-o-o-

Thor might have hurried upstairs, his heart trying to leap from his chest, but he told himself to calm down before he would enter the nursery. Since there came no sound from within the room, he thought Loki might have left again, but when he pushed open the door, he found his brother standing before the crib, the boy in his arms.

"Loki," Thor smiled radiantly.

Loki looked up from his sleeping son. The edges of his lips twisted upwards only slightly, indicating that he wanted to smile, but he could not bring himself to do so. Carefully, Thor stepped forward, his own smile never fading. "It is good to see you, brother." His eyes trailed down to his nephew to see he lost his blue skin colour.

"What is his name?" Loki asked, moving to place the boy back into the crib. When no answer came, Loki turned back to look at Thor who watched him with worried eyes.

"He has not been given one yet," Thor explained, "he is your son, you should chose the name."

Loki's weak smile grew, but Thor was still not convinced. He had seen his brother many times after the birth of his other children, but never had Loki looked so exhausted. His children had always made him happy, but there only lay cautious joy in his eyes now.

"Where have you been?" he asked, knowing that there was a chance he would not receive a proper answer.

"You know where I have been," Loki said cryptically. The way his eyes momentarily darted towards the baby was enough of an answer.

Thor felt that stab of guilt return in his stomach and he wished he could say something to make it all better. There was nothing he could say, however. Loki had been in need of his help and Thor had abandoned him for months. It was a miracle that Loki did not blame him in the first place, that he did not attack his brother out of vengeance.

"I am sorry," Thor said, knowing how faint his voice sounded.

"As am I," Loki said, appearing strangely at ease. He looked straight into Thor's eyes who didn't dare to look away. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to kill Mr. Petersen sooner. Or more painfully."

"Loki..."

"Einarr," Loki suddenly said, the darkness having disappeared from his voice, "that's my son's name. Einarr."

Thor bowed his head. "A good name."

"A warrior's name," Loki corrected. He focused his attention back to his son and pressed a soft, loving kiss against his forehead.

"He will be strong, Loki," Thor said, watching his brother's smile grow with every word, "and powerful. He will be amazing."

"He already is."

-o-o-

The End

-o-o-


End file.
